“That’s the first thing I’m thinking everyday,” he said. “That’s the number-one goal. I want to go out and try to shut the team down.”

After sailing through the first four innings without a run, Lawrence sparked to life in the fifth.

John Turner flicked a leadoff double right and Russo followed with a two-bagger, putting the Cards up 1-0. Russo came around to score two batters later on a Connor Springsteen groundout.

Lawrence, though, wasn’t done yet, loading the bases with two outs against Nottingham starter Franco Esposito, who began to tire in the fifth. Tommy Ikeda delivered the final blow, chasing Esposito with a two-run single.

“We could see it in the eyes,” Russo said. “We were hungry.”

To make matters worse for the Northstars, not only did Lawrence add five more runs in the sixth, Esposito, who had moved out to right field, injured his right shoulder diving for a Russo fly ball that ended up falling in for a double.

Nottingham coach Mike Braender said Esposito’s shoulder popped out and although they were able to get it back in place, he was headed to the hospital for x-rays.

His status is day by day, Braender said.

The Northstars had two chances to grab an early lead, but had a pair of runners cut down at the plate. First, they failed to execute a suicide squeeze in the third then had a man hung up between home and third with one out in the fifth.

Center fielder Taylor Guest saved them in the fourth, throwing out courtesy runner Mike Nguyen at the plate, who was trying to score from second on a single by Ikeda.

Though it didn’t score, Lawrence could feel momentum swinging in its favor.

By the time six innings were complete, the Cardinals were up 9-0.

More than enough for Kagel.“We asked Kagel to put us on his back and get us through this first game,” said Lawrence coach Chris Gresko. “He really controlled the tempo of the game.”